Marcus Stroman has been somewhat of a malcontent at the start of New York Yankees spring training. The veteran right-hander, admittedly understandably from a competitive standpoint, doesn't want to move from his longtime starter role to the bullpen. He's been adamant about that publicly and, assumedly, privately.
At the same time, that decision ultimately isn't up to Stroman. However, it did seem as if the Yankees might not have any other choice but to insert Stro into the No. 5 spot of the rotation after Luis Gil's injury this spring that will cause him to miss potentially significant time in the regular season. That, however, might not be as much of a certainty.
Just when Stroman's window of opportunity opened, one of the Yankees top prospects, Will Warren, might be slamming it closed just as quickly.
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Will Warren should get Yankees final rotation spot over Marcus Stroman
Warren was on the bump on Tuesday for the Yankees' spring training matchup against the Phillies. And for a young pitcher with only 22.2 major-league innings under his belt to this point, he looked quite dominant. Over 3.0 innings of work, Warren allowed just one hit, one walk and one earned run with four strikeouts and with 30 of his 47 pitches going for strikes.
Now, some Yankees fans remember the 22.2 innings that Warren through in the big leagues last season and could be quite worried. He made five starts and six total appearances but, again lasted only 22.2 innings. That's because he got shelled, giving up 33 hits and 26 earned runs over that time, which are "good" for a 10.32 ERA and a 1.897 WHIP. Not great!
At the same time, the stuff has been there for Warren since he was an eighth-round pick out of Southeastern Louisiana in 2021. Now 25 years old, you always expect there to be some sort of bumps in the road for a young pitcher coming up, which is what we saw last year. This spring, though, his three appearances over 8.0 innings have yielded just the one earned run, only two hits and two walks and now 11 strikeouts.
Stroman, who pitched to a middling 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with the Yankees last season, might have his best days behind him as he enters his mid-30s. Warren, on the other hand, might have his best days ahead. When you combine that with the fact that New York is clearly looking for a higher-upside immediate option for that spot in the rotation, Warren seems like the clear-cut choice.
It's still spring training, which means things are always subject to change. Though no one wishes it, injuries are always a factor and who knows what happens with Warren from here on out. To this point, though, with how well Warren has pitched, it would feel a bit antithetical to favor Stroman over the young prospect for that final spot in the Yankees rotation.